Get to Know Us | Vivi Jaatinen, Krista Järvimaa, Saana Leskinen & Salla Touhonen, Legal Assistant Trainees, Helsinki

Vivi Jaatinen, Krista Järvimaa, Saana Leskinen, and Salla Touhonen have been working as legal assistant trainees at Hannes Snellman’s Helsinki office since May 2021. All of them are currently studying in undergraduate programmes in business administration. Saana and Salla are specialising in legal expertise at Laurea University of Applied Sciences and Krista and Vivi are pursuing modern languages and business studies for management assistants at Haaga-Helia University of Applied Sciences.

We asked them a few questions about what it is like to work at Hannes Snellman as a legal assistant trainee.

How are you? How was your summer?

Salla: I'm fantastic! Even though I did not take a vacation throughout the summer, the warm evenings and sunny weekends did their part in allowing me to truly enjoy this summer.

Saana: I’m feeling great! The summer was wonderful, full of ice cream, swimming, and friends. I enjoyed the heat, summer nights, weekends, and often after the workday I went for an evening swim at Uunisaari.

Vivi: Super! I have really enjoyed the sunny days and spending time with my loved ones.

Krista: I’m great! Although I was a little horrified at the beginning of the summer that I didn’t have any vacation, I have been enjoying the summer evenings and the weekends to the fullest.

What kind of matters has your team handled lately? What have you learnt during your traineeship?

Salla: In the M&A teams, we do project-related work. So far, I have assisted lawyers and assistants with their day-to-day chores, such as document editing, time entry, and investigations concerning various tasks. During my traineeship, I have learnt a lot about the industry as well as about myself. We learn, for example, to prioritise and work under pressure during the traineeship.

Saana: I work in two groups, IP & Tech and Tax, whose duties are somewhat different. So, my days are not identical, which has been beneficial, since I have learned a lot and I am constantly learning more. However, my main role in both groups is the same — facilitating the work of lawyers and doing the background work. It has also been interesting to understand how a big law firm works and what is really going on inside the walls.

Vivi: I have been given a variety of different tasks in the Real Assets Team, in which the matters relate to projects and construction, environment, and real estate. I have assisted in projects and administrative tasks, such as proofreading and managing documents, time entries, reimbursement of expenses, and so on. During my traineeship at Hannes Snellman, I have explored the business law world and learnt something new almost every day about legal assistants’ tasks and what career choices interest me.

Krista: Although the beginning has been a little quieter, I have had a lot of different tasks. Every day is different, but mostly my tasks have had to do with assisting in projects — editing documents, searching for information, anything ancillary. During my time at Hannes Snellman, I have learnt the importance and necessity of an extremely exact and effective way of working with legal matters.

How would you describe Hannes Snellman’s culture?

Salla: The people here are incredibly friendly. There is no lawyer or assistant I could not ask for help.

Saana: The atmosphere is supportive and warm, and I have felt that me and my work are valued.

Vivi: Encouraging, enthusiastic, and inspiring colleagues, who are guiding you and supporting your development, and making you feel valued.

Krista: All employees have been very helpful and supportive. I feel that the whole community encourages learning and open interaction.

What kind of skills are important for a legal assistant trainee?

Salla: You should be open-minded, precise, and eager to learn as a legal assistant trainee. If you stay active and open to new tasks, you will go a long way.

Saana: Just like Salla said. Good IT skills and creative problem solving are a plus. You should also want to help others and challenge yourself.

Vivi: Management skills, preciseness, and punctuality, service-mindedness, and comprehensive knowledge of IT tools and software.

Krista: As I said, I think the most valuable skill working as a legal assistant trainee is to be effective and exact with your work. Since we are here to learn, I think you should always dare to ask and to tell how you feel about things. It is also a very useful skill to manage all the most common IT tools and programmes well.

What is the best part of your job at Hannes Snellman?

Salla: The best part of my job is how much I get to learn and gain valuable experience. The support between the trainees and team members is incredible.

Saana: Interesting work assignments and encouraging and wonderful colleagues have been absolutely the best.

Vivi: The top three things that come to mind are inclusivity, amazing colleagues, and constant learning opportunities.

Krista: The best part is that I get valuable experience and gain different skills for the future.

FAVOURITE | Lunch S.T: Thai food; S.L.: Hills Dumplings’ dumplings; V.J: Pasta dishes and an energy drink; K.J: Pizza, salad, or sushi. Podcast S.T: POKS; S.L.: Also POKS podcast by Veronica Verho and Sita Salminen; V.J: The Joe Rogan Experience; K.J: Don’t have one… Power Song S.T: Empire State Of Mind; S.L.: I simply can't pick only one song.; V.J: Socialite (by Jontha Links); K.J: Queen - Don’t stop me now